Ten Things to Know about American Baptists

Ten Things to Know...

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Ordination of Mr. Doan Ngoc Son

The ordination of Doan Ngoc Son [Sonny] was held today at the end of the service. Pastors John and Ich officiated and presented Sonny to the congregation. After answering to the questions presented he was officially named a pastor and received his robe. Members of the Vietnamese community sang 'Amazing Grace'. After the service the congregation was invited to a reception.

a request to the church community...

Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

I have just returned from the area of the world we call Eastern Europe. I was there to continue my prayer odyssey: Pray for Peace. In what was once Nazi-occupied Poland I visited two concentration camps/extermination centers. In Auschwitz I prayed at the 'Wall of Death' where political prisoners were shot. In Birkenau, twenty times larger than Auschwitz, I stood in a gas chamber...where millions were murdered. I ask you to pray for peace, not only today and not only in church but every day and everywhere so that this cycle of hate is obliterated. Maybe not in our generation but in that of our children and grandchildren.

Prisoner Arrival Depot at Birkenau

blognote: for more info see my website pray75.blogspot.com

Community Empowerment Workshop

Today I dropped in on A Community Empowerment Workshop for the Karen Community at Central Baptist Church in Hartford where I worship. I spoke with Myra Dahgaypaw about the work needed to further involve the Karen community in the larger context of living in Connecticut and the United States. She and Thra K'Paw, a member of CBC, were meeting with adults in the morning and youth in the afternoon to discuss leadership, education beyond high school, community assessment and scholarship opportunities.

Myra Dahgaypaw

Myanmar Presentation

I gave a talk today on my short-term mission experience in Myanmar. In January/February of this year I taught at the Karen Baptist Theological Seminary in Yangon. One of the main reasons for wanting to share these pictures and narrative was because of my Karen brothers and sister here at CBC. Four years ago, two hundred or so Karen refugees arrived in Hartford from the camps in Thailand.

Pastor John Endler opened the program with a prayer for peace. The Karen have become an integral part of our church and have supported my short-term missions in many ways. I left my card with one of the attendees hoping that she will follow my odyssey. At the end of the presentation we prayed for peace and I announced the halting of my short-term missions for this year to attend to my odyssey.

taking a year off...

I have decided to take a year off of short-term mission work. My last trip was to Myanmar and had hoped to return to Cuba this coming year. I will concentrate on my Prayer Odyssey and travel in that way. Hopefully I will be able to do more short-term mission work in the future.

Youth Bell Choir

The Central Baptist Church Youth Bell Choir played during the service today. They played 'Where You There When They Crucified My Lord' for the Offertory and 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross' for the Postlude.